Page 3 of 7

Kwanza lodge
Kwanza River
River of dreams
River of schemes
Schemes of lust
Schemes of joy
Joy in itself
Joy in being
Being here
Being near
Near to bliss
Near to this
This escape
This repose
Repose required
Repose inspired
Inspired by beauty
Inspired by calm
Calm as day
Calm as night
Night closes in
Night enfolds
Enfolds the spirit
Enfolds the dream
Dream of me
Dream of you
You in harmony
You at peace
Peace and quiet
Peace flows
Flows like a river
Flows through everything
Everything, everywhere
Everything right
Right for here
Right for now
Now, the moment
Now, the place
Place in time
Place in history
History winks
History thinks
Thinks of today
Thinks of a way
Way to make amends
Way to move on
On my own
On the way
Own
Way

I can be gracious and forgive
But don't ask me to forget
Oh, I can live and let live
I can be gracious and forgive
It's almost attractive
This mental pirouette
I can be gracious and forgive
But don't ask me to forget

Neurons firing
Across carriageways
Under construction
Messages half sent
Half-received
Half conceived
Fantastical plans
Free of consequence
Free of sense
Forging ahead
To freedom
Independence
Responsibility looming
'Clean your room' ing
All happening too soon
Errors of judgement
Under the spotlight
Decisions of ego
Seemed like
Such a good idea
At the time
Practicing adulthood
Without the tools
Ill-equipped
Metaphorically
Hand-held
And understood
Letting go
Safety-netted
Still abetted
A journey toward
Self-actualisation
A revelation

Just as the flame can burn the hand
That strays incautiously too close
Blistered reminder of impulse
So the hand can snuff the flame, command
Extinguish the light and the heat
Its purpose quashed and incomplete
Gentle shielding will understand
Nurture, direct the naked light
Use its power for doing right
Protect the flame,reprimand
The feisty draught set to blow out
The light offering to end doubt
The thoughts and actions left unplanned
In darkness fester and take on
A life, a needless marathon
Illuminated, become grand
The candle flickers and breathes life
Burning passions put paid to strife

A precious gift winged back graciously with a newfound comrade
Requested, admittedly, but despite that still nicely played
Tiny little thoughtful gestures, building bridges, setting scenes
Providing succour, nourishing, customising host cuisines
What begins as a love/hate relationship makes us braver
This is now a comfort, familiar and homely savour
More heartfelt, problematic and contentious than mere flavour
Let me open your secrets and won’t you come to my aid?
Darker and scarier than multitudinous Halloweens
It’s a matter of taste, I insist, my point to belabour

You
Smiling
Complicit
A shared moment
Of trust and of hope
Something passed between us
Something profound and surreal
Daring us to grasp on, hold tight
Never letting this moment leave us
Hungrily holding on with all our might
Knowing now, this is not just another night
A hint of a future, suddenly real
Not imagined, extant and bright
More than the sum of our parts
A shared vision of hearts
Time now to absorb
Eternity nears
And how you
Fulfil
Me

I’m so sorry it had to be this way
My intention was not to cause you pain
Perhaps we’ll feign again another day
I’m so sorry it had to be this way
But leaving is easier, as they say
Than being left, lost and wounded again
I’m so sorry it had to be this way
My intention was not to cause you pain